


cheerleader

by chivalrousamour



Series: floyd/riddle oneshots that make a slow burn when you string em together [12]
Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27417655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chivalrousamour/pseuds/chivalrousamour
Summary: "When I was a kid, I used to have a crush on a girl in my class," Ace explained. "And I didn't know how to handle it at all. I wanted her to pay attention to me, so... I called her names and made fun of her a lot. And I kept bragging in front of her too...""I... see?" Riddle said, because he didn't know how to handle Ace looking far off into the distance, regret in his eyes at his dark past."My point is, Floyd will basically do anything if it means you pay attention to him," Ace said seriously.
Relationships: Floyd Leech/Riddle Rosehearts
Series: floyd/riddle oneshots that make a slow burn when you string em together [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984363
Comments: 8
Kudos: 90





	cheerleader

The voice called out to Riddle from behind. Almost instantly, Riddle felt the urge to flee into his room, which was rather ridiculous, as he had just entered the Heartslabyul lounge.

"Dorm leader Riddle~!"

"Yes, Ace?" Riddle said in return. 

If his voice was a bit snappy, well. No one could fault him, right? Ever since the year started, Ace, Deuce, and Yuu had gotten wrapped up in all sorts of mishaps. While Deuce and Yuu were at the least apologetic and tried to be on their best behaviour... Ace.... _didn't._ So, while Riddle didn't exactly try to play favourites... he may have had an itsy-bitsy _unintentional_ bias towards the not-Ace first years.

Ace looked a bit sheepish, almost as if he sensed Riddle's unintentional bias.

"I, uh, wanted to ask you for some help," Ace said, causing Riddle to look up at him curiously.

It must have been serious, if Ace was swallowing his pride and asking for aide. And, as dorm leader, it was only natural for him to help his underclassmen, no matter what his feelings towards them were.

"What is it?" Riddle asked. "Do you need help with your schoolwork?"

"Actually... I wanted to know if you could go to the basketball game on Friday!" Ace said.

Riddle paused.

"Explain."

"See, there's this big match coming up!" Ace exclaimed. "I'm really nervous, since it's my first time off the bench, so...! I wanted some people to cheer me on!"

Now, to anyone else, Ace's shaky voice and non-stop fidgeting would in fact point to Ace being nervous. Others would have reassured Ace and promised to be there for him.

Riddle's response, however, was to narrow his eyes and coldly say, "what's your real reason?"

Ace froze, before laughing. That boisterous grin suited him much better than the false timidity.

"Ahhh, you caught me," Ace said. 

"Of course. The Ace I know would be bragging up and down the school," Riddle stated. "There's no way you would be nervous."

"Well, I'm not nervous about _me,"_ Ace said. 

Riddle had a bad feeling about that.

"See, Floyd's a regular on account of his skill," Ace started off, and the bad feeling Riddle had was intensifying with every word, "but, well, you know how he is. If he's not feeling up to it, he'll throw the entire match."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Riddle asked.

"You're his motivation!" Ace said with a wink. "If you're there, Floyd'll actually do his best! We'll win the game for sure!"

Riddle let out a very long, very frustrated sigh.

"Ace, that's not how this works."

"Yes it is!" Ace countered easily. "I mean, Yuu's boyfriend won the latest Magift match in a single blow after they cheered for him! It was honestly kind of terrifying! I mean, he blasted three Savanaclaw dudes twice his size off the face of the planet!"

"He only knocked them off the field, Ace."

"Anyways! The point is, anyone will do their best when their crush is watching!" Ace exclaimed. 

Riddle froze.

And then he started blushing.

Well, of course he _knew_ Floyd liked him, Floyd wouldn't have asked him out if he didn't--

Riddle then remembered that he never actually gave a definitive answer to Floyd's confession, even though Floyd's birthday had passed. 

Ace, who had watched his dorm leader's face go from bright red to pale white over the span of two minutes, was starting to get a bit concerned.

"Uh... did you not realize he liked you...?" Ace asked, misunderstanding.

Riddle didn't answer, because he was internally screaming.

"Well, it kind of makes sense. Floyd's way of expressing it... _ohhh boy_ ," Ace said with a sigh. "He honestly sucks at it. It's painful to look at, really."

Riddle then remembered that he was in a conversation with someone, and a few minutes of ominous silence wasn't very polite on his part. So, he replied.

"Ace, what are you talking about."

...hey, no one ever said Riddle was good at talking to people.

Ace, however, took this rather well.

"When I was a kid, I used to have a crush on a girl in my class," Ace explained. "And I didn't know how to handle it _at all._ I wanted her to pay attention to me, so... I called her names and made fun of her a lot. And I kept bragging in front of her too..."

"I... see?" Riddle said, because he didn't know how to handle Ace looking far off into the distance, regret in his eyes at his dark past.

"My point is, Floyd will basically do anything if it means you pay attention to him," Ace said seriously. "Including trying his best to win."

"...if I show up, will you stop talking about this?" Riddle asked bluntly.

"You know it!"

"Fine," Riddle said. "I've got some free time anyways..."

Ace grinned from ear to ear.

"That's our gracious dorm leader for you!"

* * *

Ace was wrong, Riddle realized as he sat in the bleachers. 

Floyd was _not_ trying his best to win.

"GOLDFISHIE~!!!" Floyd screamed the moment he got the ball, waving at the short redhead much too enthusiastically. "I'M GONNA GET A THREE-POINTER SO MAKE SURE YOU'RE WATCHING!!"

Riddle gritted his teeth and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could hear Jade laughing behind him, along with whispers from other students, the sound of Jamil giving up and leaving, and the referee yelling at Floyd for holding onto the ball too long.

Riddle raised his head to glare at Ace, only for his eyes to accidentally meet with Floyd's.

Floyd's expression went from an annoyed pout to a bright grin as he waved to Riddle again.

For some reason, Riddle felt a bit flustered. He waved in return, but his movement was much smaller and much more hesitant.

And then the moment was broken by the referee ordering Floyd off the court.

Floyd, predictably, did not go to the bench he was directed towards. Instead, he went directly for Riddle.

This would have been less of a problem if Riddle hadn't been sitting next to someone.

As expected, the poor Scarabia student ran off the instant he saw Floyd approach, letting Floyd claim the spot next to Riddle without difficulty.

"Shouldn't you be on the bench?" Riddle asked.

"Don't wanna," Floyd said.

Riddle was honestly astonished Floyd didn't instantly go for a hug, only to get annoyed at himself for acting like he was disappointed. He made it a rule that there was to be no physical contact in public, so why was he surprised when Floyd followed it? In fact, he should have been happy!

Riddle had been so invested in convincing himself he didn't want a hug that he almost missed Floyd talking to him.

"Hey, Goldfishie," Floyd said with an easygoing smile. "Did you come here for me?"

"O-of course not!" Riddle exclaimed. "Ace asked me to."

Floyd's expression soured.

"Crabby?"

Riddle did not like the jealousy evident in Floyd's face, so he quickly added, "he said that my presence would... incentivize you to try harder... or something."

"Eh?"

"He said a whole lot of nonsense about wanting to show off in front of one's crush," Riddle went on. "I don't even know where he got that idea, seeing as you clearly don't care about the game at all."

Floyd laughed a bit.

"I like sitting here and chatting with Goldfishie better than winning, though?" Floyd said. 

"G-guh!" Riddle replied eloquently, blushing like crazy. 

"The fact that Goldfishie came here just for me makes me happy!"

"I didn't come here for you!" Riddle snapped. "I came here because my junior wanted my help keeping you in line!"

"Ehhhhh," Floyd said, pouting.

"If you're part of a club, you ought to perform to the best of your abilities!" 

"But I don't want to," Floyd countered instantly.

"You....!" Riddle seethed.

And then Floyd gave him a toothy grin that made Riddle flinch, whether it was from fear or something else.

"Hey, Goldfishie... I'll definitely be motivated if you give me a kiss when I win."

"Absolutely not!"

"Then, will you--"

Riddle cut him off with a counter-proposal.

"If you win, I'll lift the rules for one day!" Riddle said hurriedly. 

"What rules?" Floyd asked.

"The rules... saying that you can't touch me in public, or--"

"Deal!"

"Eh."

Riddle barely had time to process that Floyd agreed before Floyd got up and jumped into the game. Literally. He stole the ball from Ace and managed a three-pointer, all in under five seconds.

Jade's laughter rung out from behind Riddle once more, as Floyd set a new record for the most decisive basketball victory Night Raven College had ever won.

* * *

**Bonus**

"Never say I don't do anything for you, Prefect," Ace said bluntly the next day.

"Huh? What?" Yuu asked, confused, right before spotting Floyd clinging to Riddle in the hallway. "What?! Ace?! What have you done?!"

Ace laughed, before winking and saying, "I just helped you out with your little interruption problem out of the kindness of my heart, of course!"


End file.
